KURDISH NEWS WEEKLY BRIEFING, 14 – 21 AUGUST 2017 NEWS

KCK’s Bayık: Raqqa will determine the future2. Syrian Democratic Forces announce liberation of 60% of Raqqa city3. Raqqan women prepare for freedom4. PKK on August 15: Resistance and unity a must for victories5. Democratic autonomy declared in Shengal – UPDATE6. Global Coalition and al-Raqqa Civil Council meet7. Al-Raqqa clans support Federalism elections8. The Elections High Commission opens its center in al-Shahba9. Yousef: elections to be held is the first experience in Syria.10. SDF general promises to liberate Syria’s al-Bab from Turkey-backed rebels11. At the request of Erdogan, the Spanish authorities arrest a German writer12. HDP demands compensation from Erdogan over calling Demirtas ‘terrorist’

OPINION, COMMENTARY, ANALYSIS
1. Condolence letter to The President of the Generalitat of Catalonia and Ambassador of Spain to Turkey
2. Kurds plan ahead for shifting status in Syria
3. Turkey and Iran step up coordination in Syria
4. In the Middle East, Longtime Rivals Try a Temporary Alliance
5. Is Erdogan Planning To Arm Himself With Nukes?
6. Aiding And Abetting Erdogan’s Brutality
7. The Council of Europe and the death of the peace process in Turkey –
8. “The formal end of war in Colombia that cost more than 260,000 lives has increased the hopes of peoples of the world for peace” Message from HDP Co-Chairs
9. What happens the day after the Kurdish referendum?
10. The true account of a storyteller’s quest to save the folkloric tales of the Kurds of Turkey.
11. Conflict Period and following Demolition of the Old city (SURİÇİ) of DIYARBAKIR|CAMPAIGN, ACTIONA Week of Action to Stop the Arms Fair – 4th-11th September, 2017———————————————-NEWS1. KCK’s Bayık: Raqqa will determine the future20 August/ANF English“The future of Rojava and Northern Syria will mainly be determined with the liberation of Raqqa. The character Syria will have will take more shape.”https://anfenglish.com/features/kck-s-bayik-raqqa-will-determine-the-future-21635

3. Raqqan women prepare for freedom
9 August/ANF EnglishThe women of Raqqa have suffered greatly in the last five years. It was not just the ISIS cruelty. ISIS itself is a product of the barbaric mindset the statist capital system causes. It was The Man who took everything in his own hands and put himself to the center of life and led to the emergence of such vile organizations. https://anfenglish.com/news/raqqan-women-prepare-for-freedom-21437
4. PKK on August 15: Resistance and unity a must for victories
15 August/Anf EnglishThe PKK drew attention to the values created by the 15 August Initiative and called on the Kurdish people and revolutionary-democratic forces to enhance the resistance for freedom and democracy against fascism.https://anfenglish.com/kurdistan/pkk-on-august-15-resistance-and-unity-a-must-for-victories-21546

6. Global Coalition and al-Raqqa Civil Council meet17 August/ANHA NewsAIN ISSA – The member of General Relations Committee in Al-Raqqa Civil Council Omar Alloush stated that the council would discuss with the Global Coalition the situations of Al-Raqqa Civil Council and the active organizations in al-Raqqa to support the council and consolidate relations with it.http://en.hawarnews.com/global-coalition-and-al-raqqa-civil-council-meet/#prettyPhoto7.

Al-Raqqa clans support Federalism elections18 August/ANHA NewsGIRÊ SIPÎ- Al-Raqqa clans’ sheiks and notables assured their support to Democratic North-Syria Federation during an expanded meeting as the most prominent clans of the area met in a tent in the northern countryside of al-Raqqa.http://en.hawarnews.com/al-raqqa-clans-support-federalism-elections/

At the request of Erdogan, the Spanish authorities arrest a German writer20 August/ANHA NewsThe Spanish authorities arrested a German writer of Turkish origin on the grounds that he opposed the government of the Justice and Development Party. The Turkish government has demanded that the Spanish authorities arrest the German writer “Dogan Axanlî” of Turkish origins, on charges that his book is opposed to the regime of Justice and Development Party head Recep Tayyip Erdogan.http://en.hawarnews.com/at-the-request-of-erdogan-the-spanish-authorities-arrest-a-german-writer/

4. In the Middle East, Longtime Rivals Try a Temporary Alliance
18 August/World ViewPolitics and war make for strange bedfellows, as Iran and Turkey can attest. The two countries, historically rivals, are laying aside some of their differences to focus on common priorities: managing the Syrian civil war and slowing the Kurds’ progress toward greater autonomy.https://worldview.stratfor.com/article/middle-east-longtime-rivals-try-temporary-alliance

8. “The formal end of war in Colombia that cost more than 260,000 lives has increased the hopes of peoples of the world for peace” Message from HDP Co-Chairs
18 August/HDP English
Dear Mr. Saavedra,
We congratulate the peoples of Colombia! At the end of varied negotiations and agreements, the protracted war between the Colombian state and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) ended with the FARC surrendering its remaining weapons to UN monitors.http://www.hdp.org.tr/en/english/news/news-from-hdp/the-formal-end-of-war-in-colombia-that-cost-more-than-260000-lives-has-increased-the-hopes-of-peoples-of-the-world-for-peace/10783
9. What happens the day after the Kurdish referendum?
14 August/AEIdeasOn September 25, Iraqi Kurds will head to the polls not only in Iraqi Kurdistan, but also in territories disputed between Erbil and Baghdad to vote in a referendum on whether Iraqi Kurdistan should become independent. Masoud Barzani, the region’s de facto president (his term expired two years ago but he refused to step down), has written that the referendum will be binding.http://www.aei.org/publication/what-happens-the-day-after-the-kurdish-referendum/
10. The true account of a storyteller’s quest to save the folkloric tales of the Kurds of Turkey.
17 August/The LISTNamed after the Kurdish saying ‘There is one world, a thousand doorways’, this solo piece details American storyteller Diane Edgecombe’s quest to rescue the traditions of a dying culture by gathering tales from the mountains. It is a very sincere performance, in which Edgecombe shows the depth of her research and travel. However, it lacks natural rhythm, which results in the 90-minute runtime feeling excessive rather than well earned.https://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/article/94452-a-thousand-doorways/

11. Conflict Period and following Demolition of the Old city (SURİÇİ) of DIYARBAKIRNevin Soyukaya Archaeologist Former head of the UNESCO World Heritage Site “DIYARBAKIR FORTRESS AND HEVSEL GARDENS CULTURAL LANDSCAPE” 1 Damage Assessment Report on Old City (Suriçi) of Diyarbakir Introduction The Fortress of Diyarbakir and the Hevsel Gardens Cultural Landscape have maintained their importance for thousands of years because of its strategic location between the East and the West. The multi-lingual, multi-cultural and multi-layered character of the walled city, called Suriçi and today part of the Sur District, has woven many different cultures into its fabric.https://peaceinkurdistancampaign.com/2017/08/21/damage-assessment-report-on-old-city-surici-of-diyarbakir/

EMERGENCY APPEAL FOR AFRIN

Life in Afrin

Weekly News Briefing

Jeremy Corbyn issues statement of support for the National Demo

Message from Jeremy Corbyn to Kurdish national demonstration in London:
“I’m sorry not to be able to be with you today, but I send a message of solidarity with today’s demonstration, and with the Kurdish people, under sustained attack across the Middle East.
The conflict in Syria has been the trigger for an onslaught against the Kurdish people, who are defending their autonomy and their rights.
We are watching closely the alarming events that have been unfolding in Turkey in recent weeks, including the killing of civilians and destruction of Kurdish homes.
Any negotiated settlement of the Syrian conflict must include peace and justice for the Kurds, including in Turkey. And the Turkish government needs as a matter of urgency to restart the peace process with the Kurds and respect the rights of all its people.
We call for an end to repression of the Kurds and justice for the Kurdish people throughout the Middle East.”

Destruction and Repression in North Kurdistan

Freedom for Ocalan!

On the 19th anniversary of his kidnap and imprisonment by Turkey, we renew our call for Abdullah Ocalan to be freed as part of a peaceful solution to the Kurdish question.